Method for building and curing concrete roofing surfaces



March 12, 1940. J. H. HARDY 2,193,233

METHOD FOR BUILDING AND CURING CONCRETE ROOFING SURFACES Filed Feb. 13, 1959 2' Sheets-Sheet 1 46 I 46 a k v ll I 746' /4@ 94:

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METHOD FOR BUILDING AND CURING CONCRETE ROOF ING SURFACES Filed Feb. 13, 1959 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED} STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD FOR BUILDING AND CURING CONCRETE ROOFING SURFACES James Harris Hardy, Artesia, Miss. Application February 13, 1939, Serial No. 256,119 10 Claims. (Cl. 108-6) This invention relates to means for covering the roof of a building with thin strips or shingles of cement mortar or concrete.

In the construction of building roofs, concrete '5 as a surfacing material has long appeared to be an advantageous, low priced and long lived covering, provided the thickness of the material could be reduced to a point where the weight would not be excessive and the amount of materiial used could be kept down to an economical bas Among the obstacles encountered however are the very great diiliculty of curing extremely thin slabs of concrete and the almost insurmountable difliculty of preventing the cracking of such slabs under curing and subsequently under expension and contraction. In an endeavor to get away from this a shingle typeof construction has been indicated, but here the necessity for even 2 less thickness and the corresponding dimculty of curing has become even greater. The close fitting of the shingle surfaces when the shingles are laid, because of the stiffness and inherent rigidity of the material, has also proven to be 5 almost impossible, and the securing of the shingles has proven to be very diflicult because of this same rigidity and brittleness and the resulting danger of breaking the shingle in endeavoring to firmly seat and hold it down.

Theobjects of the present invention are: To build a shingle type concrete roof using a minimum of material and of economical cost; which will be securely attached to the sub-surface structure, and conform closely to this sur- 35 face and shingles already thereon; which will be substantially free from expansion and contraction strains and random cracking incident thereto; which-will effectually care for joints due to construction; which will control and care for 40 expansion, contraction, or other cracks, such as may occur; and which will satisfactorily and economically accomplish the curing of the material.

45 objects are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will readily be understood Fig. 3 is a similar section on the same scale The means by which the foregoing and other" showing the roof under construction and indicating the anchoring means. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a fragmentary portion of the roof and the mechanism employed in the construction; and

Fig. 5 a fragmentary section showing forming means for the first or edge strips used.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals: i0 is a sheathing course as of wood, such as is usually employed. H, l2, l3, l4 and I5 are elongated shingle strips disposed parallel to the cave edge lO-A of the sheeting. The strip H is a starting strip and the strips 12, i3, l4, I! are successive overlying shingle strips, which overlying strips are substantially identical. The

overlying shingle strips after initial forming are the placing and forming of the strips, these nails serving to anchor these strips securely to the sheeting.

A covering 30, as of tar paper, entirely encloses the starting strip H after this strip has been formed. A portion of this covering 30-A lies along the roof sheeting Ill and is placed thereon prior to the placing of the concrete, this portion preferably extending slightly beyond the upper edge of the strip. The nails 20 are driven through the covering into the sheeting with the heads of the nails projecting well thereabove but 32 and 33 are similar coverings around the shingle strips l2, l3 and I4, the base portion 3l-A of the'covering 3| lying along the roof sheeting and in conformity with and along the upper surface of the covering of the starting strip II; and the under-surfaces 32--A, 33-A of the coverings 32 and 33 lying along the sheeting and the upper surfaces of the coverings of: the successive shingle strips l2 and I3. During construction of each strip, as shownin Fig. 4, the

' coveringsfor such strip, as the shingle strip I5,

is placed. sothat the underlyingportion 34-A lies along the. roof sheeting l0 and along the below the desired finished surface of the strip. 3!,

upper surface of the folded over covering 33 of a the completed strip with that portion 34 of the struction of the roof.

covering which is to be later folded over extending over the upper surfaces of others of the completed shingles in such amount as is necessary to provide covering for the lower end and top of the strip when finished and for a projecting top similar to the top 33B of the covering 33. The coverings each are longer than the strip, having end portions as the end portion 34-B, which are folded over the ends of their respective strips after they are completed.

and 4| are guide members used in the con- These members are at least equal in length to the longest strip to be made and are securely held together by ties or braces 42 (one 'only being shown) adjacent their opposite ends and at an intermediate point or points if desired, these braces being securely nailed or bolted to the members to accomplish a templet and form for a shingle strip. To provide clearance to work under the braces, blocks or shims 43, 44 may be used between the braces and thememberslll, 4|. The member 40 is provided with a templet and form edge 45., which has a depth equal to the thickness of the butt edge 'of the shingle strip, and'the member 4| with a templet edge 46 corresponding in thickness to the upper edge of the strip. Preferably on account of the thinness of this edge of the strip the templet edge is a metal plate underlying the member. 41 is an end form secured to the ends of the members 40, 4|,-this and an additional and form (not shown) being used for the first strip of each row to conflneand form the ends of the strip, the additional endform only, being needed for subsequent strips of the row. 48 is a strike board for spreading the concrete of which the shingle strips are made and level ing the top surface of such strips.

For the starting strip, a board 50 maybe secured to the underside of, the sheathing II, this board extending beyond the edge of the sheathing and being built up as by members 5|, 52, theusual manner, the edges of'the planks preferably closely abutting, although minor cracks or holes are not particularly objectionable and even a slight unevenness of surface may be tolerated.

- A strip of tar paper 30, somewhat more than twice the width of the desired starting strip, is laid along the lower eave edge of the roof with the edge of that part SO-Apt the paper which is to remain permanently in 'place extendin slightly' beyond the upper edge of the dwired starting strip. The templet .edge 4G is placed to overlie this extending portion and is fastened down as by the strip 4|-A and nails SIA. Nails 20 are driven into the sheathing through the paper ill-A but are left projecting thereabove, care being taken'however that they may.

be cleared-by the striker board 48. The form thus made is filledwith fine aggregate concrete. or cement mortar and struck off to the level of the templets-fl-A and. If the-strip isto'be amazes marked into individual shingles the strip surface is scored or grooved in usual and well-known manner.

Subsequently the overhanging portion of the P per covering 30, and the end portions thereof,

are folded up around the lower edge and ends of the strip and over the top thereof, in the case of the starter strip the'next shingle formed overlying the entire thus covered area.

Subsequent shingle strips, as the strip l5, are formed by laying down the tar paper covering 34, with the portion 34A, which is to underlie such strip l5, resting on the surface of the sheathing and on the covering 33 folded over the top of the shingle strip |4. Anchor nails 20, 2| are driven through the covering portion 34--A with their head portions protruding for embedment in the subsequently placed concrete. Preferably the nails 2| are placed to pass through the edge portions of the covering paper 33, 33--A 0f the completed shingle strips I4 and adjacent the upper edge thereof. The templet and form, including the guide members 40, 4|, is placed on the underlying portion 34--A of the covering 34, with the templet edge 46 of the member 4| resting on and holding the upper edge of such underlying portion and the member 40 resting on the double thickness 33, 34 of covering-overying-that portion of the shingle strip 4 which is to be later exposed. Concrete is placed in the mold thus formed, and agitated or tamped to cause the underlying covering portion 34-A to lie flat along the sheathing, to conform closely to the unequalities at the upper edge of the underlying shingle strip l4, and alongthe surface covering of such shingle strip. The top of the shingle strip is struck off and surfaced be the striker board 48, and if to be divided into individual shingles, is grooved; these grooves, if f made, preferably extending entirely across the width of the strip to determine expansion or other cracks entirely thereacross along definite lines.

' After the shingle strip is completed the end P rtions 34-3 of the coveringpaper are turned in over the ends of the strip and a portion of the covering paper 34 is turnedupward over the lower edge of the strip and laid along the top surface thereof.

Preferably a row of starter strips is. completed along the entire eave edge of the roof. The row of overlying shingle strips is built over the row of starting strips and subsequent rows of shingle strips thereafter constructed. The covering paper at the upper edge of the last row of "strips completedis securely fastened down and" the coverings over the shingles and shingle strips are left in place for at least such period .as may paper or even other material if so desired, im-

, pregnated with asphalt, tar or other bituminous for if preferred an oiled paper, theparticular material used being one which will prevent discovering ma-' terial herein designated as tar paper may be.

p nsion of the water in the concrete and permit the concrete to properly cure. a

It wilhbe 'fiu'ther understood that the term arcane:

"concrete" hereinused is intended to designate a mixture of cement, preferably Portland cement, and an aggregate, and in many cases may because of the fineness of the aggregate might be more properly designated as a mortar than as a true concrete.

The preceding description has been confined to building a roofing surface and to a method of forming the shingles or strips which permits use of a quite wet and very plastic concrete. It will be seen however that if a stiff enough concrete be used, as for instance one of a consistency such as plaster used on walls, a wall surface may be similarly built, the strips in such case usually being left uncovered so that a shiplap or lapped-siding appearance of wall is had. In either wall or roof construction also the concrete may be placed by spray gun or by other known and usual methods. 1

It is found possible also to substitute for the sheathing either in roof or wall construction forms which would lie between the roof rafters (l0A, Fig. 2) or the wall studs during construction and subsequently be removed. In such case the anchor nails 20, 2| would be driven into such rafters or studs to effect the anchorage of the strips or shingles.

I claim:

1. The method of building a concrete surfacing unit which includes providing a base,'laying on said base a sheet of moisture retalning covering material, securing through said material and into said base, means, having anchoring portions extending above said sheet, placing on a limited area. of said sheet a shallow bottomless form conforming to the desired outline of said unit, depositing concrete in said form and striking off the face of said unit to a desired contour and thickness, removing said form, folding extending portions of said sheet over the face of said unit including the edges thereof and maintaining said covering in place until the concrete has cured, said sheet being of size to encompass both surfaces and the-edges of said unit.

2. The method of building a section of concrete surface which includes providing a base, laying on said base a sheet of moisture retaining covering material, securing through said material and into said base, means, having anchoring portions extending above said sheet;'placing on a limited area of said sheet a shallow bottomless form conforming to the plan of said section, depositing concrete in said form and striking off the face of said section to a desired contour and thickness, scoring said face to establish a unit pattern thereon, removing said form, folding extending portions of said sheet over said face and the edges of said section, and maintaining said covering in place until the concrete has cured,

said sheet being of a size to encompass both surfaces and said edges.

3. The method of forming a concrete surfacing unit including providing a base, placing on said base a sheet of substantially non-pervious covering material, securing through said sheet slab and securing and maintaining said covering in place until the concrete slab is cured, said sheet being of a size to encompass said surfaces and edges.

4. The method of forming a section of concrete surfacing including providing a base, placing on said base a sheet of substantially non-pervious 5 covering material, securing through said sheet and into said base, means, having anchoring portions extending above said sheet, forming on a definitely outlined area of said sheet a thin concrete slab, with its under-surface conforming closely to the 10 contour of said base, and with said anchoring portions embedded, scoring the surface of said slab to outline a unit pattern thereon; folding outlying portions of said sheet over the edges and top of said slab and securing and maintaining said covering in place until the concrete slab is cured.

5. The method of building a concrete surfacing unit which includes providing a base including permanent and removable portions, laying I) on said base a sheet of covering material, adapted to substantially prevent dispersion of moisture, securing through said material and into permanent portions of said base, means, having anchoring portions extending above said sheet, placing on a limited area of said sheet a shallow bottomless form conforming to the desired plan .of said unit, depositing concrete in said form and strimng off the face of said unit to a desired contour and thickness, removing said form, folding 80 extending portions of said sheet over the surface of said unit including the edges thereof and maintaining said covering in place until the concrete has cured, said sheet being of a size to encompass sald surfaces and edges, and said remov able base portions being removed after said concrete has set.

6. The method of building a section. of concrete surface, which includes providing a base including permanent and removable portions, laying on said base a sheet of covering material, adapted to substantially prevent dispersion of moisture, securing through said material and into permanent portions of said base, means, having anchoring portions extending above said sheet; placing on a limited area of said sheet a shallow bottomless form conforming to the plan of said section, depositing concrete in said form and striking off the upper surface'of said section to a desired contour and thickness, scoring said section to establish a unit pattern thereon, removing said form, folding extending portions of said sheet over the surface of said section including the edges thereof and maintaining said covering in place until the concrete has cured, said sheet being selected of a size to encompass said surfaces and edges.

7. The method of forming a concrete surfacing unit, including providing a base including permanent and removable sections, placing on said base a sheet of substantially non-pervious covering material, securing through said sheet and into said permanent portions of said base, means, having anchoring portions extending above said sheet; forming on a defined area of said sheet a thin concrete slab, with its under-: surface conforming closely to the contour of said base course, and with said anchor portions embedded, and thereafter folding outlying portions of saidsheet over the edges and top of said slab and securing and maintaining said covering in place until the concrete slab is cured, said sheet being of a size to encompass said surfaces and edges.

8. The method of forming a sectionof conm ing on said base a sheet of substantially non-pervious covering material, securing through said sheet and into said permanent portions of said base, means, having anchoring portions extending above said sheet, forming on a defined area of said sheet a thin concrete slab, with its undersurface conforming closely to the contour of said base, and with said anchoring portions embedded, scoring the surface of said slab to outline a unit pattern thereon, allowing said concrete to set; and thereafter folding outlying portions of said sheet over the edges and top of said slab and securing and maintaining'said covering in place until the concrete slab is cured, said sheet being of a size to encompass said surfaces and edges.

9. The method of forming a concrete surface over an underlying structure, comprising initially placing on said structure a sheet of substantially non-pervious material, securing into said structure anchor means, each having a protruding portion, forming on a partial area of said sheet, a concrete slab with its under surface conforming to the contour of said structure and with said protruding anchor portions embedded,foldingand securing outlying portions of said sheet over the edges and top of said slab, and successively repeating the operation, and thereafter maintaining the covering sheets in place until said slabs are cured.

10. The method "of forming a concrete roofing surface which comprises establishing a sheathing base, laying along an eave edge thereof, with substantially one-half thereof overhanging said eave, a sheet of bituminous covering material of a width and length sufficient to enwrap a desired starter strip, securing into said base, anchor means having projecting portions, forming on said sheet a concrete starter strip, and wrapping extending portions of said covering material edges of the sheet covering the last completed 25 shingle strip and maintaining said coverings in place until the concrete has completely cured.

JAMES HARRIS HARDY. 

